In 1974, the Shevchenko Scientific Society
published “A Collection of Memoirs and Historical
Data”, one of which focussed on towns and
villages in “The Tchortkiv District” (Ukrainian
Archive, Vol. XXVI).

In that publication, Lonhyn Horbachevskyy wrote a detailed
chapter of reminiscences about Tluste/Tovste, covering
some 14 pages (pp. 795-808). Among other things, he
tells about prominent people who visited Tluste, such
as Grand Duke Myhaylo Romanov, brother of Tsar Nicholas
II, the last Tsar of Russia. Horbachevskyy also describes
the events of the First World War, including the use
of biological weapons on the front line, which was situated
not far from Tluste.

Although Horbachevskyy was not actually born in Tluste, he
moved from Kolomya to take up residence in the town in 1902,
and he spent the next twenty years of his life there. After
graduating from the University of Lviv in law, he returned
to Tluste to do his practical training. Among other things
he worked at the Prosvita or ‘Enlightenment’
library, which was located in the community centre (presently
the museum), where he systematized the books. He was also
conductor of an amateur choir and he organized a chorus, the
first concert of which took place in 1911.

In 1916, Horbachevskyy became an officer in the Austrian
army, but he returned to Tluste in 1918 after two independent
Ukrainian republics were declared. Horbachevskyy moved to
Chortkiv and took part in the war in which the Polish army
was victorious, dashing the hopes nationalists like himself.
His brother was a lower officer in the Ukrainian Sich, and
was killed by the Bolsheviks.

Around 1920-22, Horbachevskyy moved to Central
Ukraine, where the independent republic was still viable,
and was married there. Persecuted for his beliefs he decided
to return to Tluste but was arrested by the Polish police
and was imprisoned, then released.

He moved finally to Chortkiv where he continued to do
social work, helping to found a Ukrainian gymnasium (school)
there. He continued to visit Tluste, just 20 km to the
south, regularly. There, his father was director of the
local court.

Horbachevskyy emigrated to Canada in the 1950s and died in
Montreal in 1971. Whether he ever returned to Tovste or published
other material about his life in Ukraine is not known. Nevertheless,
the single chapter of his reminiscences about Tluste/Tovste,
written in Ukrainian, is an extremely valuable source of information.
It is hoped that it can be translated into English and made
available to a wider audience.

If you would like offer to translate the Horbachevskyy chapter
from Ukrainian into English or to make resources available
for its translation, please drop me a line via the Feedback
page.

INTERIM UPDATE: One of Lonhyn
Horbachevsky's grandsons, Myron Horbachevsky (of New York),
contacted me in March 2010 to report that he was in the process
of translating his grandfather's memoirs (from 1963) into
English and has offered to revise and augment the information
mentioned above.